Notre Dame vs. Penn State: Why Doubt the Fighting Irish Now?

Notre Dame has been counted out of CFP chase since the first week of September. It keeps on getting the job done.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates a touchdown scored during the first round of the College Football Playoff between Notre Dame and Indiana at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What though the odds be great or small

Since Notre Dame's humiliating Week Two loss at home to Northern Illinois, it's been an uphill battle for the Irish. Not just in terms of securing a spot in the CFP, but to keep the program, and the Freeman era, on the rails.

There was doubt, there was frustration. Notre Dame's massive failure was front-page news, Freeman and his boys were taking justified shots from all directions, including from the frustrated Irish fan base and media.

How Notre Dame has bounced back from this moment, and a slew of key injuries that have plagued the program all season, has been beyond impressive.

After the Northern Illinois loss, the Irish have rattled off 12 straight wins, the last nine by double digits, and have set a CFB record in beating ranked opponents in each of the last six calendar months.

This is a run you'd expect see listed under the Frank Leahy tab in this Irish history books.

The D-Line keeps stepping up 💪#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/s46QFPzAjS

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 6, 2025

Momentum is a real thing no statistic can measure

One can measure most things in football. There are stats for everything these days. But nothing can measure heart, momentum, and vibes. Notre Dame has all three on full tilt heading into the Penn State matchup with a title shot hanging in the balance.

This particular group of Notre Dame players and assistant coaches have found their groove under the confident but never cocky Marcus Freeman, who seems to have found his footing in the insanely intense world of head coaching.

Notre Dame has been counted out for most of this season and succeeded in spite of, and maybe even because of the intense pressure the program has been feeling since early September.

This team has come so far for so long and has done it so impressively, why bet against it now?

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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